Museums, places to visit and excursions

The gems of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, eight sites listed in the Unesco world heritage. From Belfort to Nevers, Sens to Macon, the museums, cultural sites, natural sites and events are the wealth of the region.

Unesco world heritage

En route for the Climates of the Bourgogne vineyards, the latest to be included in the list of world heritage in 2015 ; the know-how of the wine growers, the characteristics of the soil and the exposure that today are recognised and protected, are very interesting. Hear a wine grower tell you all about his love for his profession and his land along the Climates, from Dijon to Maranges.

Génie de l’homme, la Saline Royale, autrefois dédiée à la production du sel, livre aujourd’hui les secrets techniques de son architecte Claude-Nicolas Ledoux. At the saltworks of Salins-les-Bains, today brine is still extracted from a salt bank at 246m depth. Discover the workings of the hydraulic engineering, the basements and wells that compose the works.

In Besançon, from the roads around the Citadel, you will have breathtaking views of the old city. In the capital of Comte, or in Belfort, stroll the fortifications and be surprised by the building and military genius of Vauban.

Go back to prehistoric times on the shore of the Chalain lake in the Jura. On the shores you will see the remains of old lake cities. These traces of 5000 year old villages are very fragile and cannot be visited.

For cultural travel enthusiasts

Choosing cities in the region for a week-end guarantee that you will find a rich heritage here! Among others: Dijon, the capital of the Dukes of Bourgogne, and its fine Arts museum, Besançon, its remparts, its citadel and the house of Victor Hugo, Dole, the former capital of the Duchy of Bourgogne, the Hôtel-Dieu of Beaune and its varnished rooftiles, the lion of Belfort and the citadel, Nevers, city of ceramics. And you will probably want to find something to do for the 47 other weekends in the year? Good news, other cities of art and history and small typical towns dot the region: Arbois, capital of the Jura wines, Montbéliard, city of the famous Peugeot brand, Morez and Saint-Claude, two pretty towns in the Haut-Jura

On the edge of the roads, there are the houses (of the illustrious). A network of places to visit to learn everything about the famous men and women of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. And in particular: the castle of Bazoches (Vauban), the house of Victor Hugo, the house Niépce in Saint-Loup-de-Varennes, the birh house of Pasteur in Dole, the birth house of Colette, the museum Gustave Courbet in Ornans, and others more.

You will inevitably cross the Regional Natural Parks of the Morvan, the Haut Jura or the Vosges on the way to your next cultural destination. So taje our advice: stop and breathe.

Moments to be lived: discover, laugh, cry, shudder, thrill!

Always looking for events in the region? There is something for everyone! Music lovers will be delighted with the Eurockéennes in Belfort, the D’Jazz Nevers Festival, the music festival of Besançon and its directors contest, the Baroque and romantic opera festival of Beaune and many others.

Film is also in the spotlight: at the crime film festival of Beaune or at the festival of Asian cinema in Vesoul.

What is more natural in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté than experiencing the Percée of the Yellow Wine or the rotating Saint-Vincent ? Not forgetting gastronomy: gourmet alert, we recommend the gourmet weekend of the Chat Perché and the Fantastic Picnics.

New site listed in the world heritage in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté!

Official and hot off the press (July 2016), the chapel of Ronchamp (Haute-Saone) is listed in the world heritage of the Unesco for the architectural work by Le Corbusier and the “exceptional contribution to the Modernist Movement”. This listing rewards a unit of sixteen buildings at the four corners of the world (Germany, Argentina, France, India, Japan, Switzerland) and that are representative of the creations by the visionary architect.

And how about using this spotlight to discover or re-discover that masterpiece of Sacred Art ? And once you are in Ronchamp, why not explore the Southern Vosges more? That is possible with the Pass’partout shuttle that connects the chapel Notre-Dame du Haut and two other major tourist sites.